ARTSBEAT; David Axelrod Is Writing a Memoir

By LESLIE KAUFMAN

Published: April 10, 2013

David Axelrod, the political strategist behind the rise of President Obama, has signed with Penguin Press to write a memoir, the publisher said Tuesday morning. Release is slated for fall 2014.

Mr. Axelrod plans to write more than a dishy White House tell-all. Penguin said that the book would cover his entire career from his early years as journalist in Chicago, through his decades as a political strategist. Mr. Axelrod has had close relationships with controversial figures like John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina, and Rod R. Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, who will appear in the book.">

David Axelrod, the political strategist behind the rise of President Obama, has signed with Penguin Press to write a memoir, the publisher said Tuesday morning. Release is slated for fall 2014.

Mr. Axelrod plans to write more than a dishy White House tell-all. Penguin said that the book would cover his entire career from his early years as journalist in Chicago, through his decades as a political strategist. Mr. Axelrod has had close relationships with controversial figures like John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina, and Rod R. Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, who will appear in the book.

In addition, his close relationship to the president was enough to generate significant interest from publishers. A person familiar with the bidding process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid repercussions from the agent, said the book had bids at least as high as $1.5 million.

This is a more complete version of the story than the one that appeared in print.

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David Axelrod, the political strategist behind the rise of President Obama, has signed with Penguin Press to write a memoir, the publisher said Tuesday morning. Release is slated for fall 2014.

Mr. Axelrod plans to write more than a dishy White House tell-all. Penguin said that the book would cover his entire career from his early years as journalist in Chicago, through his decades as a political strategist. Mr. Axelrod has had close relationships with controversial figures like John Edwards, the former senator from North Carolina, and Rod R. Blagojevich, the former governor of Illinois, who will appear in the book.">